Download Services

In this blog we will be looking at a few of the many download services available today on the internet.

Patches

A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance. Though meant to fix problems, poorly designed patches can sometimes introduce new problems.

The size of patches may vary from a few kilobytes to hundreds of megabytes — mostly more significant changes imply a larger size, though this also depends on whether the patch includes entire files or only the changed portion(s) of files. In particular, patches can become quite large when the changes add or replace non-program data, such as graphics and sounds files. Such situations commonly occur in the patching of computer games. Compared with the initial installation of software, patches usually do not take long to install.

Computer games receive patches to fix compatibility problems after their initial release just like any other software, but they can also be applied to change game rules and to fix glitches. Extra features and game play tweaks can often be added. These kinds of patches are common in first-person shooters with multiplayer modes, and in MMORPGs.  MMORPGs, which are normally complex with large amounts of content, always rely heavily on patches following the release.

Advantages of patches

• It is automatically downloaded to our computer which saves us time.
• They fix our software and games if there are problems.
• They can add new features to our software and games.

Disadvantages of patches

• They take up more memory on our computers.
• They could take a long time to download and install if it is a large patch.
• They could create more problems if the patch has not been checked thoroughly for errors.

In my opinion, patches are very good because you can see that the developer cares about its consumers and wants to fix and update the programs that people use.  Patches can fix things quickly and easily with not much involvement from us.

Torrents and BitTorrent

Programmer Bram Cohen designed it in April 2001 and released a first implementation on July 2, 2001. It is now maintained by Cohen's company BitTorrent, Inc.

As of January 2011 BitTorrent has 100 million users and a greater share of network bandwidth than Netflix and Hulu combined.

At any given instant of time BitTorrent has more active users than YouTube and Facebook combined.

A torrent file stores metadata used for BitTorrent. A torrent is data about a target file.  The only data that the torrent holds is information about the location of different pieces of the target file. Torrents work by dividing the target file into small information chunks, found on an unlimited number of different hosts. Through this method, torrents are able to download large files quickly. When a person has started a torrent download, the chunks of target file that are needed can be found easily. Once all the chunks are downloaded the client can assemble them into one usable file.

BitTorrent is peer-to-peer used for distributing large amounts of data over the Internet. BitTorrent is one of the most common protocols for transferring large files, and it has been estimated that it accounted for roughly 43% to 70% of all Internet traffic.

Advantages of Torrents

• You can download files and programs much faster.
• It is peer-to-peer so you download from people you could trust.

Disadvantages of Torrents

• People can abuse the service and use it for distributing software illegally.
• There could be a higher risk of viruses.

In my opinion, torrents are a good idea because you get to download what you want much faster.  However, it is easily abused for people to distribute software illegally and there could be a higher risk of viruses because the file is downloaded from lots of different places.

Security

Whenever you download a file, there is always a small risk that the file will contain a virus or a program that can damage your computer or your information. Here are some steps you can take to help protect your computer when you download files:

Only download files from websites that you trust.

Be cautious of certain file types. Some file types are less safe because they can carry viruses. The main file types to avoid are program files with extensions such as .exe, .scr, .bat, .com, or pif. Often a dangerous file is disguised as a less risky file type, because it has two file name extensions such as, filename.txt.exe. This example might look like a text file, but it's actually an executable file.

Install and use an antivirus program. Antivirus programs scan files before opening them and notify you if a file is unsafe.  Antivirus software can also block certain files from being downloaded if they are immediately recognised as a threat, which stops it from getting onto your computer.  Antivirus software can also scan your entire computer to see if there are any other hidden threats that you or the computer had not noticed before.

Advantages of download security

• It protects you from viruses that could ruin your computer.
• It makes us aware of things we should look out for and we will know not to use certain websites again.
• It keeps our computers and files safe.

Disadvantages of download security

• The antivirus software could look at a file wrong and stop you from downloading it because it looks like a virus when you know it is not.
• Some antivirus software is quite expensive because you have to renew a subscription every year to use the software.

In my opinion, download security is something that everyone should have and be aware of.  Antivirus software may seem expensive but it is worth it to not lose everything on your computer because of viruses.